WASHINGTON, DC – Following President Donald Trump’s announcement today that he is placing the Washington, D.C. police under federal control and shall deploy National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., CAC Vice President Praveen Fernandes issued the following reaction:

President Trump’s announcement that he is deploying National Guard troops to the District of Columbia and federalizing the District’s police force ignores real crime statistics and overrides the will of a mayor elected by local voters.  At his press conference, Trump made it clear that this action was intended as “a model” for what he is considering for other cities.  These actions are in tension with constitutional principles that protect spheres of state and local control.  To be clear, Trump’s domestic deployment of the military is fueled by his hunger for power, not by a genuine concern for safety; Trump’s actions leave Americans less safe and less secure.  Members of Congress who care about the autonomy of their own communities and the freedoms of their constituents should not bless Trump’s autocratic overreach.